Another Retelling

[GodlessPagan]

I'm sure this has been done many times before but here it is anyhoo. I'm going to write the first part of Half-Life, then I'll leave it to the next guy to follow up. Have fun!

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Gordon awoke to the early morning sunlight peering through bedroom window. Normally, since Gordon's wife let him sleep in on his off-days, this would be a pleasant way for him to enter the waking world. On off-days, the sunlight represented a day without alarm clocks and schedules, deadlines, tests, analysis and all of the tedium that comes with being employed by folks who demand such things.

Today, however, was NOT an off-day. Gordon's alarm usually went off at 03:45 to allow him time to report to the Black Mesa research facility at a prompt 05:00. Today was a day that DID demand alarm clocks and schedules, deadlines, tests, analysis and other tedium. Now, thanks to an apparent power outage (his clock was 2 hours off) Gordon could add a late morning ass-chewing to his colorful list of un-pleasantries.

"No point in rushing too much. I'm already late. Don't want to get killed on the way to being late." he thought as he backed out of the driveway. In spite of his prudent thinking, he found his foot pressing harder and harder on the accelerator as the sun rose higher into the sky, mocking his desperation.

By the time he got to the Guard house he had almost completely come to terms with his tardiness when he remembered: The Test. "Oh my God. The TEST is TODAY!"

The Test, of course, was the Magnum Opus of Black Mesa that every important person in the facility had been focused on for the last 15 months. They were on the thresh-hold of expanding their already remarkable teleportation technology to reach destinations well beyond earth, perhaps even beyond our own dimension. And now, our intrepid man-in-field was not in the field at all, but rather waiting for the security guard to check every last goddamn detail as if he hasn't seen Gordon EVERY DAY for the last six effing years... (where do they FIND these guys....)

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NEXT!!!

 

[Mujuro]

Nice read, good job.

 

[Fuse Kazuki]

Nice, keep it up!

 

[GodlessPagan]

After finally being cleared by the bumpkin gestapo that is the Black Mesa security force ("What is your business here today, sir?" ***SIGH*** "I WORK here James, just like I have for YEARS."), Gordon parked his soon-to-be-phased-out red Mazda RX7 in the parking garage. He was loathe to resign the car to obscurity but Gordon had a family now and a sporty two-seater had no place in a Barney-the-Dinosaur world.

Gordon boarded the tram and took a seat. As the tram started moving his anxiety (not to mention the fact the the tram was EMPTY, a rare thing for him since it was usually packed with co-workers on the way in) wouldn't allow him to stay seated. He got up.

He walked to the end of the tram to get a good view. Of all the monotony associated with work, the beauty of the scenery while on the tram never seemed to diminish. In spite of the anxiousness he'd felt most of his waking day, it was calmed quite a lot when one of his first observations was that of a security guard banging away on a remote door, apparently denied entrance for some undetermined, and no doubt quite quite useless, reason. "Ahh, there IS a God, and he is kind." Gordon reflected, relishing the sweet justice of it all.

It was a good ride. By the time Gordon approached his drop-off, he was beginning to feel better. He felt comforted b simply by being close to where he needed to be. He'd find his boss. explain what happened, and all would be right with the world. That's the beauty of having a good job and a good reputation. The only bad part about work is actually GETTING there. Once that happens, it's all downhill.

Gordon would surely find that idea challenged today...

 

[GodlessPagan]

Now arriving at: Sector C Test Labs and Control Facilities​

"Morning Mr. Freeman. Looks like your running a little late." droned the security guard as he opened the tram door. "Why, thank you for pointing out the glaringly obvious, you remarkable simpleton." Gordon thought. Of course, on the outside he nodded and pulled a pleasant enough face. )Gordon may have not thought much of the intellectual gifts possessed by the guards, but he was not rude.)

As the internal airlocks cycled Gordon braced himself for the Tardy Guy Walk of Shame. This difficult task demanded a strict yet unwritten protocol:

1. Hope no one is present when the airlock opens. (Unlikely)

2. Try to look as if you were supposed to be late. (Possible, but not probable)

3. If approached by a senior employee that you don't actually report to, avoid eye contact. (To dissuade said employee from reporting you to the one you DO report to)

4. If said contact is unavoidable, give a hasty but respectful reply and walk away looking to be preoccupied with some all-important task. (Have a pen and notebook already in hand)

Fortunately, Gordon's supervisor's office was just around the corner from the main checkpoint. He decided that after checking in quickly with the front desk, he could swing by the office just to get a feel for the boss's (Dr. Spinoza's) opinion on today's shortcoming. He wasn't too worried.

The security Guard at the front desk informed him that the computer system crashed last night and they were still reeling from it. He also needlessly reminded him to grab his HEV suit and get down to the test chamber as the team was waiting or him.

Gordon rounded the corner and approached Spinoza's door. He didn't knock just yet though because the doctor was engaged in what appeared to be a rather heated discussion with a very official looking man in a blue suit. He gave it a moment to see if he could catch a piece of the muffled conversation and also to see if he would have the opportunity to talk to Spinoza. No dice.

 

[Chris D]

After not being able to speak to Dr Spinoza, Gordon proceeded to the locker room to get suited up for today's experiment. As he walked swiftly through the high-tech corridors of the facility, Gordon passed his old friend and drinking partner Barney.

Barney was a bit of a simpleton much like the guard he navigated past on the way out of the Black Mesa Transit system. Barney however was a very good friend and many a night had been spent in the Black Mesa bar discussing all manner of things. At times, it was just a relief to be able to talk to someone, without having to go into the depths of meta physics.

"Hi Barney," Gordon said as rushing past the guard.
"Hey, catch me later, I'll buy you a beer," shouted Barney as Gordon rushed by.

The security guard's comment made Gordon smile. He knew oh so well that later on it'd be him buying the beers and probably copious amounts of Jack Daniels too.

 

[GodlessPagan]

Gordon made his way to the locker room and donned his HEV. As it cycled through it's systems check he went to his locker and dicharged the battery there into his suit's main power supply. He continued towards the test chamber.

When he got past the security doors that guarded the main elevator, an solicitation billboard caught his eye. The billboard was asking for folks to join the Black Mesa security force. The location of this billboard deep within the bowels of Black Mesa struck Gordon as odd since there would be no one to see it except scientists like himself (who would have no interest in security), other security guards, and janitors.

All at once it became clear. "No wonder the security force is often comprised of dolts." thought Gordon, "They're all ex-janitors."

 

[eatbugs]

good, but we already know what happens.

 

[Joe]

Gordon awoke to the early morning sunlight peering through bedroom window. Normally, since Gordon's wife let him sleep in on his off-days, this would be a pleasant way for him to enter the waking world. On off-days, the sunlight represented a day without alarm clocks and schedules, deadlines, tests, analysis and all of the tedium that comes with being employed by folks who demand such things.

Today, however, was NOT an off-day. Gordon's alarm usually went off at 03:45 to allow him time to report to the Black Mesa research facility at a prompt 05:00. Today was a day that DID demand alarm clocks and schedules, deadlines, tests, analysis and other tedium. Now, thanks to an apparent power outage (his clock was 2 hours off) Gordon could add a late morning ass-chewing to his colorful list of un-pleasantries.

"No point in rushing too much. I'm already late. Don't want to get killed on the way to being late." he thought as he backed out of the driveway. In spite of his prudent thinking, he found his foot pressing harder and harder on the accelerator as the sun rose higher into the sky, mocking his desperation.

By the time he got to the Guard house he had almost completely come to terms with his tardiness when he remembered: The Test. "Oh my God. The TEST is TODAY!"

The Test, of course, was the Magnum Opus of Black Mesa that every important person in the facility had been focused on for the last 15 months. They were on the thresh-hold of expanding their already remarkable teleportation technology to reach destinations well beyond earth, perhaps even beyond our own dimension. And now, our intrepid man-in-field was not in the field at all, but rather waiting for the security guard to check every last goddamn detail as if he hasn't seen Gordon EVERY DAY for the last six effing years... (where do they FIND these guys....)

---------------------------------------------------------------


NEXT!!!

Er, Gordon is single. Gordon didn't come to BMRF on a car either. If you listen to the lady speaking on the tram, she mentions that the tram came from the on site living quarters.

 

[GodlessPagan]

Er, Gordon is single. Gordon didn't come to BMRF on a car either. If you listen to the lady speaking on the tram, she mentions that the tram came from the on site living quarters.

Maybe I was confused by the picture of the baby in Gordon's locker in Half-Life. Or perhaps the picture of the children in Gordon's office in Opposing Force.

Silly me.

 

[Joe]

Could just as easily be a niece/newphew, etc.

 

[Veers57]

Literary license. Change the situation anyway you want to.

 

[eatbugs]

I like the part about Gordon.